The first chapter addresses the issue of how to situate women's law violations. Four of the women's stories are introduced to explore the benefits of beginning with women's own accounts of their troubles with the law. The chapter also includes a discussion of the theoretical framework that guides the work. The author notes that her theorizing consists of a combination of socialist feminism and standpoint feminism. While socialist feminism incorporates an analysis of the structural features that impact women's lives (capitalism, patriarchy, and racism), standpoint feminism provides a way of approaching how those structures are worked out in women's everyday experiences. The chapter concludes with a discussion of why abuse has been chosen as the primary factor for understanding the lives of the women in the prison. The second chapter focuses on the women's histories of abuse. The discussion is divided into two parts: childhood experiences and experiences as adults. Each part uses the women's stories to reveal the various forms that abuse has taken. Chapter Three considers the ways in which the women's law violations connect with their abuse experiences, followed by a chapter that concentrates on the women's experiences of prison. Using the women's own accounts as a guide, the author examines whether or not the experience of prison enables the women to resolve their troubles. Prison can be interpreted as a reinforcement and deepening of the oppression that has pervaded their lives. Many, however, report that the corrections system has provided resources and direction for addressing their problems. Chapter notes, an appended discussion of feminist research practice, and a 61-item bibliography